Hi Gerladine,

I remember the days well .... as well as the Portakabins at Luton. I recall a few were occupied by Monarch ops and some others by Dan Air. I also remember that when I was taken out for a drink with Monarch ops ( I worked for the company that supplied their computers and helped supply the software that gave them computers to calculate maximum take-off weights for each runway length for their new Rolls Royce engines - and avoid manual calculation ) how often we'd come across Dan Air pilots in the pub pre-flight. I think the drinking rules were a touch more "friendly" then. I remember one Dan Air pilot complaining about the number dials that weren't working!

One of my other clients was Ciba Geigy Bonded Structures - they make the panels of the aircraft that are sometimes replaced when damaged. I remember being taken around their plant at Duxford and being shown some outer panels that were in a "reject and reinspect" pile. These panels are essentially a honecomb web of paper immersed in resin and covered with a metal (aluminion I think) cover. You can lift a plane panel with a finger. Panels were sometimes rejected if the colour was a bit inconsistant. I was told at the time that if BA reject a panel then Monarch might take it. If Monarch reject it then Dan Air will probably take it.

Old days .......

I must admit those days - the pilots in the pub, the dials, and the plane panels all combined to give me a bit of Dan Air aversion ....